How is your new year so far?

I started off New Year’s with a cold – it was a gift from the family Christmas get-together. Thank you so much! This cold was definitely a reminder to take care of myself.

One of the things that helped me…and fully appreciate now…was taking the time to meditate and do deep breathing exercises several times a day. The deep breathing filled my lungs with oxygen obviously but also relaxed me. Basically slowing down helps you heal faster.

Maybe you can meditate that cold away? The University of Wisconsin-Madison did a study that adults who practiced meditation for eight weeks (and of course excercised) had suffered less by reducing the length of colds. It’s worth a try in my opinion.

Some people look to technology for assistance when they don’t understand something. There a ton of apps available that help you meditate. What is the benefit of a meditation app though? It is an easy way to help you learn about the practice and not have to schedule something in advance. It’s available when you are and reminds you to slow down. Here’s a list of meditation apps recommended by Healthline.com.

From my perspective, the main purpose of meditating (and mindfulness) is to stop and take a break to simply be in the moment. It helps you develop attentiveness or an intention that connects you to something greater than yourself. Warning: feeling better overall and appreciation for what you have are side affects.

It doesn’t matter what method you choose. Just fit in some “still time” on a consistent basis.

By the way – my preferred meditation “app” is to be outside walking in the woods with my dogs, connecting with nature.